If Africa wasn’t rich in natural resources, would black people be better off

[ItsPeople]

For example, how the hell did Japan get to where they are when they have next to no natural resources? We know why white people left their lands, they wanted more land and more gold. All these aspirations and endeavours lead to the same place, Africa.

If you were born in Africa back in the day, you wouldn’t need to leave because the continent has everything. So much land, so much natural resources which at the time probably wasn’t that important because you had no other lands to compare to.

Sure you might have some tribal warfare here and there but there was so much land and fertile ground, your tribe would just pick up and go somewhere else.

Contrast that to if we had smaller, barren lands and a colder climate, we probably would have had more of an inclination to leave our shores to seek gold and conquer lands.

 

[High Art]

Resource curse.
Resource curse - Wikipedia

That said, the problem is that the African leaders aren't obsessed enough to want full control of their resources. In some ways yeah, having resources may have fukked them over but much of it is in their unwillingness to want to control all aspects of the life of said resource. A lack of vision is partly to blame as is a lack of insecurity and fear too. A lot of things other groups did was based on the latter two.

 

[Justin Nitsuj]

I must ask and I'm not trying to start any diaspora wars, but are they using their resources to help black people all over the world or is they keeping it for themselves?

 

[High Art]

I must ask and I'm not trying to start any diaspora wars, but are they using their resources to help black people all over the world or is they keeping it for themselves?

Who's "They"? That's the question. Africa is a big place with so many different groups, let alone countries, let alone ideologies, so it is hard to be on the same page. You'd see a little of both from the different groups and countries and even then, some trickle down effect would undoubtedly occur.

Total aside, the funny thing with disapora wars is that there would be more value in those discussions if we recognized the role being of different generations play. The more current generations would have an easier time using resources for other black people than the older ones would, especially those that have lived outside of Africa for a decent while, due in part to the internet. That said, one of the better things pan-Africanism did was try and create a unified black consciousness. The only flaw in it was that is was not economically-centered enough. Too much emphasis on creating cultural homogeneity but in not trying to play their hand at the greater goal (black friendly, black-backed black ethnostate to support all others) , I can understand which is why I don't roundly condemn it, yet such made it a harder sell to Africans as a whole, even when many bought into it. It was the right move but it lost its way because the subtext was ignored.

Forgive me if my thoughts are all over the place. I'm procrastinating when I shouldn't be and this thing I drank has too much caffeine in it.

 

[ItsPeople]

Resource curse.
Resource curse - Wikipedia

That said, the problem is that the African leaders aren't obsessed enough to want full control of their resources. In some ways yeah, having resources may have fukked them over but much of it is in their unwillingness to want to control all aspects of the life of said resource. A lack of vision is partly to blame as is a lack of insecurity and fear too. A lot of things other groups did was based on the latter two.

I agree with you in modern day, but has it always been this way? Like have they always lacked vision and the desire for full resource control?

That’s what I think was needed, in regards to lack of insecurity and fear. We/they didn’t have that fire lit under their/our ass.

 

[ItsPeople]

I must ask and I'm not trying to start any diaspora wars, but are they using their resources to help black people all over the world or is they keeping it for themselves?

It doesn’t seems that way. From an outside perspective it seems to be who can sweet talk and promise the most for them and their immediate family get first dibs.

 

[High Art]

I agree with you in modern day, but has it always been this way? Like have they always lacked vision and the desire for full resource control?

That’s what I think was needed, in regards to lack of insecurity and fear. We/they didn’t have that fire lit under their/our ass.

No actually. Old African kingdoms were quite vast and complex, comparable to many others. Even from an architectural standpoint in many places. The problem is that African tribes and all that have always been more concerned with each other due to proximity and due to the fact that it made little sense to them to sail beyond Africa when Africa itself was fukking huge and the efforts and resources one had to spend on dealing with their own backyard superseded efforts to expand. Keeping in mind the size of Africa and how the environment changes from one place to another, it becomes easier to understand how and why previous kingdoms operated as they did. Moreover, the fact that many other groups had tried to go into Africa only to be repelled more times than is often noted is something to keep in mind as well. Additionally, some of the kingdoms were too small to expand fully, even with resources due to lack of manpower. As for more modern times, the role european powers play in trying to keep those countries poor is one that can't be overlooked. Even european racist fascists like Oswald Mosley noted this.

Differing customs had a hand in it as well but in the end, many old African kingdoms made good use of their resources. It's truly in more recent times that you see the misuse that we all bemoan. Hopefully that will change. I've seen some instances of it doing so in people becoming more hip to the game as to what is needed and how to get ahead.

 

[The D-List Vet]

I must ask and I'm not trying to start any diaspora wars, but are they using their resources to help black people all over the world or is they keeping it for themselves?

Africans don't really control their resources

 

[Professor Emeritus]

The answer is yes in my view, but for a different reason than given.


I don't think African cultures had a significantly different mentality than cultures from other continents. On every continent there is plenty of diversity - some groups that go out and conquer others and some that keep to themselves. Africa isn't any sort of outlier in that respect.


The real curse of resources is more modern and twofold. First, the resources gave other nations a reason to try to exploit Africa. Second, it made it too easy for corrupt leaders to profit off of the simple selling of raw goods rather than by having to actually build something lasting and meaningful in order to make shyt work out. Oil states and the like seem to be especially prone to corruption and top-down tyranny cause the money flows to the rulers so easily without a lot of infrastructure or assistance for the population being required.

 

[Nkrumah Was Right]

Yes

 

[Starman]

Let's not forget that black people were a resource too.

 

[O.Red]

Let's not forget that black people were a resource too.

Still are

 

[Gritsngravy]

I think no, the same issues would’ve been there if they didn’t have resources

 

[Swahili P'Bitek]

We could not fully be seafaring/conquering people because
1. Most rivers in the interior of Africa are seasonal and low in volume and do not guarantee straight access to the sea/ocean all year round. Most sea faring people in Africa were located along the coastal areas eg Somali's with their dhows, Carthegeans etc. Development of naval technology was clearly held back by our rivers that have low volume and steep waterfalls etc.
2. Africa's terrain and climate. This doomed us before we even got started. For those who believe in the diffusion model of civilisation. You already know why this is. The vast sahara, the thick congolese forest, rift valley etc. Spread of civilisation/trade hampered this for a very long time. Imagine if trade was possible over rivers year round other than through caravans etc. If the Akan could easily trade with the igbos, yoruba etc and central Africans.